Rappahannock Farm Tour & Blues Festival: Sept. 26

On Saturday, September 26, 2026, Rappahannock County holds two of its signature fall traditions within reach of each other: the free, self-guided Rappahannock County Farm Tour & Festival, running across multiple farms countywide, and the John Jackson Piedmont Blues Festival at Eldon Farm at Clover Hill in Woodville, VA, honoring the Rappahannock-born blues legend with a day of live Piedmont blues and cultural programming.

• Farm Tour & Festival: Saturday, September 26, 2026 — free, self-guided, multiple farms throughout Rappahannock County
• John Jackson Piedmont Blues Festival: Saturday, September 26, 2026 — Eldon Farm at Clover Hill, Woodville, VA
• Farm Tour features hayrides, farm animals, orchards, award-winning wines, and artisanal products
• Organized by the Rappahannock County Farm Tour (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit) and a Community Coalition with Virginia Tech Extension

A Full Day, Two Distinct Rhythms

The Farm Tour side of the day is built for wandering. It's a free, self-guided route on Saturday, September 26, that takes visitors through working farms across the county — the kind of places that don't normally open their gates. Expect hayrides, orchard walks, farm animals up close, and tables of local food, award-winning Virginia wine, and handmade goods from the people who actually make them. There's no set order and no ticket required; you build your own route based on which farms are calling to you. Exact stop times vary by farm, so it's worth checking the tour map published by the organizing nonprofit before you set out.

The same Saturday, Eldon Farm at Clover Hill in Woodville hosts the John Jackson Piedmont Blues Festival. The event is a community tribute to John Jackson, the Rappahannock County native and legendary blues musician the festival is named for. Expect live blues performances threaded with cultural programming, organized by a community coalition working with Virginia Tech Extension — a low-key, rooted counterpart to the day's farm-hopping.

Why Pair Them

Both events lean into what Rappahannock does better than almost anywhere in the Piedmont: real agricultural heritage and real musical heritage, presented without pretense. Neither event is a spectacle built for outsiders — they're the county's own traditions, open for a day to whoever wants to show up. Since both fall on the same Saturday, visitors coming from DC or Charlottesville can reasonably plan to work both into one day, though checking each organizer's site for specific programming times is the best way to map out your visit.

Planning Your Visit

The Rappahannock County Farm Tour & Festival takes place Saturday, September 26, 2026, across multiple farms throughout Rappahannock County; it is free and self-guided, so plan your stops using the tour map published by the organizing nonprofit rather than a single street address. The John Jackson Piedmont Blues Festival is held the same day at Eldon Farm at Clover Hill in Woodville, VA, organized by a community coalition in partnership with Virginia Tech Extension.

For visitors staying over, Rappahannock's village of Sperryville and the surrounding countryside offer nearby lodging and dining worth building the rest of the weekend around.